Vandal Hearts II

"Why change what isn't broken???"

I don't usually sell back games that I buy, but I felt compelled to do so after trudging through this mediocre strategy RPG. Its predecessor, on the other hand, was a gem, which makes me wonder why change a formula that isn’t broken. Unfortunately, the developers of Vandal Hearts II (VH2) thought it necessary to riddle this game with unnecessary and poorly executed innovations. Though innovation can be good at time (check out Kartia for Psone), here it drags down what could have been a very excellent game.

To put it bluntly, VH2 is a good game with annoying features. Everything is simply good, but this goodness is marred by little things that make VH2’s edges decidedly rough. For example, the graphics are typical of strategy RPGs. However, the game uses horrible character portraits when game characters are engaged in dialog. I am not exaggerating when I say that these character portraits are so disgusting, they can actually turn you off to playing the entire game. This is not to say that the first Vandal Hearts had great character portraits, but this game’s character portraits are beyond awful.

The same holds true with the story. The story tries to emulate the complexity and seriousness of the classic Final Fantasy Tactics but woefully fails. This is due to both a shoddy translation and ridiculous characters. The dialog between characters reads like it was lifted from a scholastic teen reader magazine. Furthermore, the entire flow of the story is slow and boring, and very often, silly. Just like the graphics, the story will suffice, but its truly annoying to have to read through dull dialog and follow asinine plot threads.

Finally, and most importantly, VH2’s gameplay pales in comparison to its magnificent predecessor. VH1 boasted some clever battles that requires strategy and cunning. Learning and using the battlefield was an integral key to success for many battles. Moreover, each character was unique yet useful. It was very hard to run into battle without utilizing the best of each of your characters. This is not the case for VH2.

VH2 first biggest flaw is its innovative battle system. Rather than a turn based system, you and your enemies move at the same time. You pick where you want your character to move and once initiated, your character moves as does a corresponding enemy of the same speed. This can lead to some interesting battles and does offer a twist on the usual strategy RPG formula, however, it is more of annoyance than a blessing. Many times you will miss an attack because the enemy that was just standing on spot A has now moved to spot B. What is even more of a problem is that this system is very easy to exploit. After the first round of battle, you will figure out which characters will move and when. Once you know this, just attack the slowest characters. Considering that the battlefields are boring and battles are more of your team hacking away against the enemy team, this makes battles not only very easy, but very boring. Also, instead of the simple means of leveling up which required serious consideration in the first VH, this version has you changing characters depending on which weapon they hold. The problem with this is that all characters become the same. Your swordsman can become an archer just by sticking a bow in his hands. This is okay, but considering that it really doesn’t matter if your character is an archer or a swordsman because of how easy this game is, there really is no reason think about changing characters. As a matter of fact, making everyone a swordsman and hacking your way through battles will insure instant victory and a very short and fruitless game.

In all honesty, I played and beat this game about two or three years ago and sold it immediately after. All I can clearly remember about this game is its flaws. That is a really bad sign. The game did have its moments and was interesting enough that I sat through the entire game, but it certainly was not a keeper. Konomi could have had gold on their hands if they just stuck with what worked in VH1, but unfortunately, they probably put little money into this game and used a team that knew the first Vandal Hearts only in name.

Please note, I rated this game a six both in light of its terrific predecessor and standing alone. It’s a very average game and perhaps the most forgettable of all the Psone’s strategy RPGs.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 07/30/03, Updated 07/30/03